Some were never meant to come around
by Lucy M. Valdstein
Summary: Team Arrow struggles without Felicity, trying to stop Darhk from destroying Star City. Oliver strains no to go mad over what happened to Felicity and his city and to find a way to defeat Darhk for good, when an unexpected ally changes rules in this deadly game...
1. Time to take it over

Hello, my dear fellow fflovers :)

This story picks up when mid-season finale left us. Hope You'll enjoy it - any comments and reviews will be highly appreciated.

English is not my native language - currently looking for beta.

 _-There are things in this world that are hard to understand and even harder to control. Small minds call it magic, but its just pure power, letting You to be a god they deserve - his eyed lit up._

 _\- And what if You don't deserve it? - The other man did not seem as amused._

 _\- I'm going to have it anyway. Here or somewhere else._

 _\- It's not a thing future Ra's al Ghul should say - he snorted._

 _\- Maybe..._

 _Crow flaying over the fourth-level balcony of Nanda Parbat suddenly got his neck snapped mid-flight at Damien Darhks' feet._

 **Part 1 - Time to take it over**

Oliver punched the last man, making him fall to the ground, his figure still as the blood flowed onto the basement floor. Oliver kicked him, trying to feed his rage – it was easier to be an anger driven vigilante that remember that every second that passed was a second when Felicity was dying the hospital, that..

His mind went back to the flashes of feelings – the fear like no other he has ever felt in his life as he dragged Felicity out of the car, her face pale and her body lip, blood in the corner of her mouth. The feeling of his heart being ripped out of his chest when he couldn't found her pulse. He was calling her name all the way down to the hospital and it was as tough she was not there anymore. This was Felicity – his intelligent, wise, strong, beautiful girl. Felicity was a constant thing in the world. There surely could not exist a world without her. Sun would fall from the sky, before she would leave him like that… Light-headed he watched as the doctors were shouting, performing the dance that separated death from life. When the sharp beep of the electronic heart monitor tore thru the room it was as though his own heart stopped and when after the longest fifteen seconds of his life it returned – weak but visible of the monitor- he cried. He felt pain during those five life-changing years. He felt pain when he almost died, shot by his mother. He felt pain, when he saw tip of the needle held by Slade brush Felicity's throat. He felt pain when he let Felicity go after he kissed her. He felt pain falling from the mountain and recovering from it. He felt pain when he saw something die in Felicity's eyes when she thought he was letting her die. But all of that was nothing compared to seeing her on that table – dead for fifteen seconds…

\- Hey, Oliver, stop it! We have to go – Diggle's voice brought him back. Only in that moment he realize that he was still kicking the un moving body of a Ghost.

\- Let's go. – He turned away, so Diggle wouldn't see his face and marched up the stairs and out of the building.

\- Man, listen…

\- Not now – he hopped on his bike and was about to start it up, when they heared steps.

\- We need to talk.

Diggle and Oliver turned, both of them reaching for weapons.

But instead of a ghost or Damien Darhk himself, there was a tall slim figure much closer than she should have gotten without them noticing. Intruder wore black combat boots, black trousers and hoodie that shown only tip of the nose and lips. Definitely a women's lips

\- You know that talking usually works better without the talking parties pointing guns at each other? – she asked, crossing her hands on her chest.

\- Who are You? What are You looking for in here? – Oliver voice sounded so strained and angry that Diggle shot him a worried look.

\- Who I am is not something we can discuss in the open. We need to talk. Privately.

\- What makes You think I want to talk with You for .Second?

\- Because you wanted Damien Darhk dead for the last three months – she said. – While I wanted him dead for the last thirty years.


	2. Stand up when You hear Your name

Part 2 **Stand up when you hear your name**

He heard Donna before he saw her – her weeping was heard all thru the hallways of sixth floor on Star City General. He passed the corner and saw her sitting on the metal chair outside Felicity's room. She raised her head as she heard him approached. Her face was redden and wet from the tears and as she read unasked question in his eyes she shook her head. No change…

Since Felicity was brought to the hospital over 36 hours ago, there was twelve hour surgery, sterile ICU room, two red alarms and compassionate look in the eyes of doctors while they said only waiting remained.

Destroyed spleen, collapsed lung. Six bullets shattered bones, tearing muscles and tendons while they penetrated her body in the ambush shooting, when she left her in the back seat to move the car. Six bullets that were meant for him. Doctors did all they could do, he believed them, but he couldn't sit here like Donna, just waiting for something to happen.

So after first hour of Felicity's surgery he stormed out, called Diggle and tracked down two groups of ghosts. Both put up a fight, none of ghosts said anything useful. And then there was this weird woman… Appearing out of nowhere and insisting on talking to him and Diggle about taking out Darhk.

When he told her to be at Verdant on 11 p.m. he thought it was to make her go away, so he and Diggle could go where they needed to be – Diggle at home, he in the hospital. The truth was he wasn't sure why he did it. Maybe because it seemed that it was just himself, Felicity, Diggle, Laurel, Thea and Lance against the organization that was so influential that even League of Assassins did not want to fight it, lead by a men with so much power that even John Constantine, men capable of tearing soul lost behind the vail and place them back in their owners' body, even master sorcerer was afraid to even talk about Darhk. Maybe because he was a drowning man clutching at a straw. Or maybe because he heard in the voice of the mysterious woman years of suffering and anger but also white rage and force…

One hour earlier…

 _\- Oliver? Oliver, what the hell is going on?- Diggle's voice was ringing in his ears as he speed his bike._

 _When they walked into the lair, Oliver angrily tossed his bike helmet aside and sat in Felicity's chair, hiding his head in his chair. He made a sound that only wounded, caged animals can make._

 _\- Oliver, talk to me. What is going on? Why did You tell her to meet us this evening? – Diggle was standing next to him, trying to figure out whether he should try to make him go home to get some sleep or get some answers out of him and then make him sleep. Oliver raised his head and looked at his best friend._

 _\- John, I just… I need to find him, we need to find him. – John could see desperation in his eyes. – But even if we find him, how can we defeat him? He was in a building that was annihilated by the explosion, yet few hours later he is seen on the streets. He almost killed Malcolm. Everyone who could fight off Ra's al Ghul like that would get me worried, even if You put aside magical powers, gas chambers and Fel…- Oliver growled. Diggle put his hand at his shoulder._

 _\- Whatever You need man, I am here._

 _For a few moments it was silent as Oliver tried to calm down, only if just a little._

 _\- I have to go to the hospital – he raised from the chair. He was halfway to the adjust room where he had some spare "non-vigilante" clothes when he heard ping of the elevator, door opening and Diggle saying – Don't go into Verdant before I'll get there, ok?_

 _\- Yea – Oliver said out loud. –Thank You – he thought._

Glades were unusually quiet. Somewhere in the distance there was a fire – the saw smoke rising heavily into the night sky. Dark alley at the back of Verdant was almost pitch-black. At the corner leading to it there was a lonely figure. Dark clothes, dark backpack, red shimmering of the cigarette.

\- Do you see anyone Diggle?- asked Oliver over the comms.

\- No. Seems she did come alone. Are we going down?

\- I'm coming down. I'll take her inside. Go to the other exit and watch us. Up close – decided Oliver. He hopped down from the low building – another part of the old foundry they never used and started waliking towards the dark figure.

\- You came. I was starting to think You only said that for me to get lost – woman said, putting the cigarette down with the heel of her shoe. She pulled from the wall and stepped closer. In the dimmed light of the old street lamp he could see that her trousers were fitted as were her hoodie. Her hands were raised up front, showing him she wasn't holding anything.

Oliver switched on the voice modulator. He took an arrow out of the quiver, and targeted her. There were no more than five meters between them.

\- Go to Your right into the alley. At the end there are metal doors. They aren't closed. Go inside and switch on the light. – Diggle made sure that back-up generators were running again and the lock on the doors police placed there after destroying the old lair was open.

Woman turned and looked at him for a second from under her hood. He'd swear he saw her smirking. She walked forward, did not stumble. He only heard squeak of the door and click of the light switch. He walked after her, cautiously. He went in, the doors closed behind him.

\- What do you want? – arrow was still pointed at her

\- I already told you, we need to talk – she did not sound scared, rather impatient.

\- I don't have time for any games. – He really didn't. And still no fear in her. – What. Do. You. Want?

She sighted.

\- Ok, I see we are going straight to business. I'm going to take off my jacket now, please try not to shoot me in the process.- She slowly took off the back pack, then tugged down zip of her hoodie, slowly lowered the hood, her face down and slid the hoodie off her hads. Only then did she let him see her face. He took a step closer.

She had long, brown hair – not unlike Thea, before she decided to be more like her father. Her face was porcelain white, her features sharp and cold but not as cold as her eyes. Like she has never smiled in her life. And there were her eyes – one piercing blue and the other dark green.

\- You could take your hood off too, you know – she said after few seconds. –I know who you are underneath, Oliver. Just as I know that Mr. Diggle is at the bottom of the stairs behind me, on my left.

Next few seconds were a blur. Oliver fired the arrow at her, then another. There were sounds of two shots from the direction of the stairs. Then light flickered.

\- There was no good way to say it, ay? – woman was still standing in her spot, two arrows and two bullets in the air around her.

Oliver took out another arrow, but Diggle whispered on the comms. – Maybe we should listen.

\- Who the fuck are you and what do You want?

\- My name is Freya and I know Darhk better than anyone alive. And I want him dead more than any of You. – Arrows and bullets fell to the floor. – Think about it. The only other person you saw do this was Darhk, do You honestly think he'd have someone like me work for him? He's the definition of paranoid. – Freya sat on the floor and exhaled.

Oliver slowly lowered his bow, but Diggle was still standing with his finger on the trigger.

\- Why should I believe You?

\- Because You know the things he can do are not a part of the standard League training.

And there bow went again to its position. Oliver was tired, angry, confused.

\- I know a lot about You, deal with it. But I know even more about Darhk, about his tricks.

\- How?

\- He killed my mother and slaughtered my whole family to learn those. He stole our altar and he's been hunting me for the better part of the last three decades.

For a moment there was silence.

\- Okay, let's start over. Shoot me if You want, but we need to cooperate. – She bowed her head first to him, then to Diggle's direction – Mr. Queen, , it's an honor to meet You. I am Freya Adalbjorg, although my father gave me another name - Dayanne Darhk.


	3. Step out into the sun

To those who favored and followed - thank You so, so much. It means a world to me!

As to answer the question raised- no, there will be bo Oliver/OC things in here. Oliver loves Felicity, she loves him, I'm Olicity shipper all the way.

Part 3 **Step out into the sun**

Diggle was sitting alone in his apartment. Layla with baby Sara went to Coast City a few weeks ago. It took some persuading, but his wife finally agreed that was safer for them and better for Diggle too. He was almost able to sleep knowing they are out of H.I.V.E. radar. Almost able to sleep… until the moment he remembered his own brother locked in the metal cage in the lair and the weird woman with _powers_ thirty meters from him…

 _Twelve hours earlier…_

 _Freya sat on the floor, only in her vest top and skinny jeans, her backpack, hoodie and boots a few meters away. She took it all off to prove them she did not have any weapon hidden._

 _\- Come on. Think about it – do You honestly think Darhk send me here to spy on You? – Freya asked this question for the umpteen time. – I want to help You. I've tried to deal with Him myself but I failed, and You can't tell me, You feel up to that task. – She turned to Diggle – I've been watching your weird pack of vigilantes for some time…_

 _\- Watch it! – growled Oliver. He was currently sitting on an old wooden crate, while Diggle was still pacing around._

 _\- I did not mean to offend You. When I say something is weird it's usually a compliment. Anyway, you can be all bound together either by duty, fear or love. You choose Your duty, You do not show fear, even when it comes to the most creepy son of a bitch in the northern hemisphere so it must be love and trust than binds You. That how I know I can trust You._

 _\- How do You know who we are? – Diggle was still pointing the gun at her head, even if it seemed to be ineffective towards her. Last time he felt this unnaturally was when he saw little lab-geek running faster than the sound._

 _\- League of the Assassins knows and You shouldn't be surprised that some of its' members are not entirely happy with the new… management. There was someone I knew, who was willing to talk about how there was another man, who defeated the Ra's al Ghul but did not become one._

 _\- And he just gave You information You needed? Just because You asked?_

 _\- No. League training makes man strong, that's true, but there is a way to break anything and anyone. Or to buy it. He wanted out of the League and I helped. In exchange he told me the story of Al Sahim and his friends. – She shrugged her shoulders_

 _Oliver moved quickly, tossing her to lay flat on the ground, his right hand on her throat as he kneeled between her legs, holding her in his grasp._

 _\- I don't trust You ._

 _\- I let You to do this and I am not going to hurt You or Your friends, that should give You a reason to trust me – whispered Freya , her throat hurting._

 _\- And if I still don't believe You? – Oliver's eyes where dark with anger and desperation. Diggle was pointing the gun somewhere on the woman's right side._

 _Freya did not respond she just touched her left palm to his hand on her throat. For the second time this evening lights flickered and it got dark._

 _\- Oliver, are You okay? – Diggle shouted but everything was quiet. He moved his hand in front of him, trying to figure it out. After five seconds lights went on again and he saw the weirdest scene._

 _Freya laid on the floor on her side – blood pooling around her face, her nose bleeding, her eyes closed. Oliver looked like he was crawling back, his face white, mouth moving but no sound._

 _\- Man, you ok? – asked Diggle slowly walking in his direction, not letting Freya out of his sight, ready to shoot._

 _Oliver's voice was raspy but sure:_

 _\- It's fine John. Lower the gun – he run a hand down his face. – I believe her._

 _\- What? Did you hit Your head ?- To say John was confused would be an understatement of the year._

 _Oliver stood up slowly and walked to Freya, holding his hand out to her. She sat up and shook her head trying to wipe some blood off her face and only smearing it all over._

 _\- Help me get her up John, we need to get her to the lair. – Seeing his friends' quizzical look he explained, while helping the woman on her feet. – It was like I saw inside her head._

 _\- Maybe You saw lies, are You stupid enough to believe some magic trick like that? – Diggle raised his gun, pointing it directly at her heart._

 _\- I know what I saw. I felt it before… - Oliver shrugged remembering how it felt like the first time. Like swimming in the dark, dirty cold water. -When I was in Nanda Parbat I learned that in the old days, when League's magic was strong that was part of the trial. Priestess would see into the soul of the candidate and deem him worthy of becoming an Assassin. One Priestess made a mistake and showed a candidate part of her soul at the same time and they both went mad, killing people-mad. From that time only Ra's al Ghul has the knowledge of that – he told me this story to convince me that if I lied, he'd know it. To make me believe he showed me a part of himself – the freedom he believed he gained after killing his town, all the people he's ever known. – He stopped and shook his head. – It felt the same John, it's an old magic, she said the truth, she wants to help us._

 _Diggle lowered down his gun. He did not like all this magic business any more than meta-humans. World was easier when they fought bad people who took advantage of their money…_

Now.

\- Ollie, I understand that the last days were hard on You, really, but how can You see this is completely insane ? –Thea was standing in front of Oliver, stabbing him in the chest with her index finger to place more emphasis to her words. John called her an Laurel half an hour ago saying they need to talk to Ollie in the lair.– It's even more insane than Your last year idea! She knows who we all are…

-Thea! Just trust me, okay? Can you do that? – he sounded angry.

\- I don't know if we can trust You – said Laurel from behind him. – Last time You asked us to trust You, Layla got kidnapped, Thea almost died and we believed that You let us to death in Nanda Parbat. I know Felicity's state is…

\- You DON'T get to use that against me! Either You do trust me or you don't – if You do You trust her too, if You don't then I'll do it myself – he was panting with anger now. He always wanted to protect them and help them and they did not have time for those discussions!

\- Oliver, if I may… - Freya went out of the bathroom in fresh shirt, her face clean. – I believe You know John Constantine.

Seeing Thea and Laurel both ready to attack her she added:

\- I can feel traces of Him in here. They're weak but he performed some hardcore trick in here. Contact him and ask about me – Freya proposed. – I can even get you the phone number.

Thea and Laurel looked at each other, they saw what Constantine could do. Not that they would trust him without questions, but it would be something. Oliver got his cell phone, dialed the number and put the phone on speaker.

\- Oliver! What's up mate? Need help with another lost soul ?

\- Hi, John. No it's something else. Have You ever heard the name Dayanne Darhk?

There were a few seconds of white noise in the speaker.

\- That name means some serious trouble, but You probably already know that, ay?

\- You could say so – agreed Oliver.

\- Oookay. Is this purely theoretical or is this of more practical nature?

\- The latter.

\- Oh… If this is about if she is who she says she is, you probably already saw answer to that. Didn't you?

\- I saw. Quite clearly.

\- She did her thing? – John seemed amused. – Is she there?

Oliver hesitated. Thea and Laurel shrugged their arms and Freya nodded.

\- I'll take that as yes. Then two things. – John sighted into the phone. – It's nice to know she's alive. Second – if she reached out for You be honored, there are around five people who know about her. And be scared – that mean shit got serious.

-You saying we can trust her? – asked Laurel stepping closer to the phone.

\- Hi Canary. She's a complicate gal. Dangerous. But she always keeps her word.

There was suddenly some noise in the background.

\- I have to go now. Call You later – said John. – Oh, and don't make me a part of this Darhk mess. And just call her Freya so she won't kick your arse – the phone disconnected.

\- That this mean I can stay here? – Freya asked. – If Damien realizes I'm here it will go south pretty quickly. Moreover – in the time we spent on this discussion I could have make your little quest talk.

\- Our guest?- asked Thea.

\- Yep. The ghost in the basement.


End file.
